The present invention relates generally to novel package systems and particularly to a combination hand carried dispensing and unitary carton-shipping package system for industrial size wipers.
At one time, virtually all industrial and shop wipers were assorted, odd-sized rags, sold typically in 25 pound bundles. Oftimes, there 25 pound bundles contained poor quality rags having a variety of fluid absorbent characteristics which did not adequately meet users needs.
In an effort to provide an effective replacement for rags and other textile products, which would meet most of the needs of the users, many manufacturers of paper and synthetic products developed large size sheets of absorbent paper and synthetic material for use as wipers and towels which could be packaged and rapidly dispensed, providing the user a better wiper product than the aforementioned textile wipers.
Some manufacturers have provided large size disposable wipers e.g. 18.times.15 inches packaged in bundles of 50 wipers or in cartons of up to 200 wipers. The wiper material has been produced having qualities which complete with the strength, bulk, durability and oil as well as water absorbency of textile products.
In preparing textile replacement products, manufacturers explored various techniques and methods for packaging their products. Some manufacturers prepared material in roll form for use in dispensers having a serrated cutter for cutting strips from the roll. Others packaged stacks of wipers in flat or folded sheet form, in bands or cartons for distribution from dispensers. Still others formed continuous unitary tissue strips folded across its width dimensions; each fold being in the alternate direction providing a zip-zag configuration containing perforations placed across its width dimension, at sequentially chosen locations, forming wiper segment regions. This folded and perforated strip is placed in a storage box. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,645 dated Jan. 20, 1970 of James Glass et al describes such a tissue strip. Removal and separation of the tissue strips into wiper segments is accomplished by pulling a wiper strip out of the storage box through an opening therein and thereafter detaching each individual segment from the strip along the perforations. To provide compact storage of the wiper strips, the material is usually folded longitudinally into C-folds or Z-folds.
Realizing problems such as the inconvenience of physically detaching each wiper along the perforations from wiper strips, a search for various other means to effect wiper dispensing was initiated. This search resulted in the improved product of the present invention.